20 



that of Dr. Martins, but I have not access to his noble work, and it is 

 to be regretted that in this large town, notwithstanding its boasted 

 Public Library, works of this character are almost unknown. 



DIVISION I.— CALAMINvE. 



Section First. — Pinnated-leaved. 



This division comprises several most useful genera. The first is 

 Zalacc.4 an Indian genus, which yields the beautiful sticks called Malacca 

 canes ; these are the thin stems of Z. edulis, which, when first gathered, 

 are of a bright yellow colour ; in order to produce the much admired brown 

 tint and mottled appearance, they are suspended by the natives over 

 green wood fires until the smoke sufficiently changes their colour. A 

 change of taste has however lately taken place, and the natural coloured 

 canes are now most highly prized. The fruit of Z. macrostachya is ealen, 

 and the petioles of the leaves used for fastening palmetto thatch. 



Calamus is another Indian genus, several species of which yield 

 useful products. The most valuable is the long slender stem of 

 C. rotang (Linnaeus), or the Rattan cane of commerce, so extensively 

 used in this country for chair bottoms, and a variety of similar pur- 

 poses. It is applied to an amazing number of useful purposes in India 

 and China. Not the least important is that of tying up vaiious 

 packages, such as tea-chests, &c., for transport to different countries : 

 such bandages have an advantage wliich none of the ordinary fibrous 

 materials possess ; they are almost imperishable, and consequently are 

 not rotted by exposure to damp in the vessel's hold ; this arises from 

 the large quantity of silex which these plants secrete and deposit on the 

 outside of their stems. 



Dragon's Blood is another product of this genus, and is yielded by 

 Calamus draco (Willd.) and perhaps other species ; it is a peculiar 

 resinous secretion of the fruit, of a blood red colour, consisting of 

 Draconin, a peculiar red resin, 9(.)-7, fixed oil !2-0, benzoic acid ;j 0, 

 oxalate of lime 1'6, phosphate of lime 3-7. Its chief use is as a 

 colouring matter for varnishes, and for dyeing horn in imitation of 

 tortoise shell. Its pharmaceutical value is quite exploded. 



The seeds of Calamus erectus (Roxb.) are used by the poor natives of 

 India as a substitute for the areca nut, under the name of Sun-gotta. 



Many palms of this division yield the valuable starch known as sago, 

 from the Malay name sagu. It is produced by some of the species of 

 Calamosagus, but more especially by the species of Sagus (Goertner), 

 as S. lavii (Runiph.) and 8. genubia (Runiph.) This farina is prepared 

 from the trunks of these palms, which are of a giganiic stature. The 

 exterior of the stem consists of a hard thin shell of woodv tissue. 



